The Portal of Dust
by Glitch Guardian
Summary: Madelyn gets transported from District 11 to the world of Eragon, where she allies with the Varden. She finds out that her beloved sister, Kida, was chosen at the Reaping, and she wasn't around to volunteer. Can Madelyn and her new friends save Kida?
1. Somewhere That's Not District 11

**A/N: I don't own anything recognizable, only Kida and Madelyn.**

"It's an evil world out there. You've just got to learn how to live in it." Madelyn blew out the lamp with those parting words. She glanced back at Kida, sleeping soundly already. She sighed. She was glad that Kida didn't have to go through what she did every year. The worrying, the anger, the sadness, young Kida shouldn't have to deal with it. Madelyn and the rest of the kids from District 11 usually got tesserae. Not Kida. Amongst the children, she was known as the "baby."

One early spring morning, Madelyn was strolling through the orchards. She had made sure to wake up extra early so that she could walk peacefully in the meadows without a Peacekeeper spotting her and forcing her to go to work. Madelyn walked slowly, enjoying nature, when she suddenly found herself in a part of the orchard that she had never been to before. Slightly scared, she looked around, desperately hoping for familiar scenery. All her eyes came across was a large, swirling whirlpool of dust. The trees bent towards it, and to Madelyn's surprise, she was sucked in as well. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't pull herself from the grip of the whirlpool. "Kida!" She screamed as she fell backwards into the swirling dust, knowing Kida could never find her.

Madelyn opened her eyes to an unfamiliar landscape. Mountains so large she couldn't see their summits extended as far as she could see. Madelyn groaned and rubbed her head. As far as she knew, this wasn't Panem. Blinking the dust out of her eyes, she spotted a strange blue streak flying through the air. Before she knew it, the streak revealed itself to be a large blue lizard-thing, which landed beside her. A figure hopped off the back of the thing with inhuman grace. As it came towards her, she realized it wasn't human at all. The figure was a tall, young male, with shaggy brown hair and a broad jaw. The human resemblances stopped there. The boy's face was sharper than a human's, even sharper than those who were starving. His eyes were slightly angled, and his clothing was of a strange green material. What was most unnerving were his ears. They were longer than a normal human, and they tapered into a point at the tips. A bow and quiver was slung across his back, and a sword was belted to his hip. He extended his hand to help her up. His grip was unnaturally strong.  
>"Hello, stranger. Who are you?" He said, smiling.<br>"I-I'm Madelyn," Madelyn replied, slightly scared.  
>"Do you work for Galbatorix?" The boy took her look of confusion a to who Galbatorix was as a definite "no." He smiled.<br>"My name is Eragon, and this is Saphira, my dragon," Eragon gestured at the lizard thing, "Welcome to Agläesia, Madelyn. Come with me to the Varden."

Madelyn decided to trust this Eragon, even though she didn't know what he was talking about, because she didn't know where she was, and Eragon obviously did, and also because Saphira had dangerous-looking claws, and Eragon had his weapons, and the two were very fast. So Madelyn climbed clumsily onto Saphira's saddle behind Eragon. When Saphira vaulted into the air, Madelyn felt as if she was leaving her stomach behind, but then Saphira steadied herself, and Madelyn began to enjoy herself as Saphira glided gently towards the enormous mountains.

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	2. The Tributes are Chosen

**A/N: I don't know how to spell the dwarves' city mentioned here, nor do I have the book for reference. Can someone tell me, please, if I got it wrong? Anyway, here's chapter 2.**

Upon reaching the Varden, Madelyn slid off in a tangled heap, gladly stretching her legs. Eragon slid off with much more grace, and extended a hand to help her to her feet. Madelyn looked around. They were in a tiny cave, with a few small caves extending off it. She scowled. The whole Varden couldn't fit their entire forces _here._ From what Eragon had told her, the Varden had large forces. Saphira squeezed her large body through one of the tunnels, Eragon and Madelyn close behind.

They emerged in an enor mous cavern ringed with intricately carved pillars. In the center was something that looked like an enormous stone version of the Cornucopia's horn. From her vantage point, Madelyn could see houses built into the stone, as well as a few people milling about. Eragon pointed to the top of the horn.  
>"This is Tronjeheim, and up there is the Dragon Hold, where Saphira and I stay." Madelyn nodded, only half hearing him, caught up in the strange beauty of the city. Eragon pulled Madelyn onto Saphira's saddle once again, and the two of them rode her to the Dragon Hold.<p>

In the Dragon Hold, Eragon threw a small bag that Madelyn had never noticed before on to a small pallet that she guessed was his bed. He left quickly, telling her to wait in the Hold. Madelyn looked up at Saphira.  
>"How and why did you come to me?" She asked. Saphira smiled, but it looked very odd, as it exposed her large dagger teeth.<p>

_Eragon and I felt a strange calling of some sort from where you were, _Saphira said in Madelyn's mind. _We flew to it, and found you. Now, if you have no more questions, I am going to sleep. The journey has made me weary._ Saphira circled several times on her enormous cushion like a cat, and fell asleep.

While Saphira slept, Madelyn looked around in wonder at the beautiful Hold. As she was doing this, she noticed as swirling cloud of dust similar to the one she had fallen through. This one was smaller, though, and it wasn't drawing her in with a pull, as the last one had. Instead, this one showed a picture. Madelyn gasped as she recognized the scene to be the main square in District 11. Molli, the Capitol's agent there, was reaching into the Reaping balls. She pulled out a slip of paper, and made her trademark announcement, "We have chosen our boy tribute for the sixty-third Hunger Games!" _Sixty-third? _Madelyn thought. _That's this years'!  
><em>"The boy tribute is…" Molli held up the paper. "Marcus Flynne!" Madelyn had never known Marcus. That was good. Molli pulled out the girl's slip. She took e deep breath. "The girl tribute is…Kida Marrikazi!" Madelyn gasped in horror as Kida and Marcus slowly walked up to the stage.  
>"Any volunteers?" Molli asked brightly.<br>"Yes!" Madelyn gasped, rushing at the cloud. "Me! I volunteer!"

As Madelyn threw herself at the cloud, in dispersed in a puff of dust, and Madelyn collapsed, sobbing, to the floor.

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